Mechanical Drafters pay range in St. Cloud
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $90,440 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in St. Cloud earn between $63,240 and $74,300.
- $50K10th
- $63K25th
- $64KMedian
- $74K75th
- $90K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $68,380 | $5,698 | $32.88 |
| Median | $64,000 | $5,333 | $30.77 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $63,240 | $5,270 | $30.40 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $74,300 | $6,192 | $35.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in St. Cloud
On the average salary of $68,380, a single filer in St. Cloud takes home about $53,809 a year, or $4,484 a month and $2,070 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
Is St. Cloud a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the St. Cloud area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.6), so the average $68,380 buys what about $78,031 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Cloud ($50,840). A typical home costs $318,864, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other Minnesota cities
St. Cloud ranks 2nd of 4 Minnesota metro areas for this job; Minneapolis pays the most ($77,920).
- Minneapolis$77,920
- St. Cloud$68,380
- Mankato$66,160
- Duluth$60,450
Highest-paying cities for mechanical drafters
Boulder, CO pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,830).
- Boulder, CO$109,830
- Albuquerque, NM$104,030
- San Jose, CA$101,310
- San Francisco, CA$98,950
- Seattle, WA$98,470
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Mechanical Drafters salary in St. Cloud: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in St. Cloud?
$32.87 an hour on average, and $30.77 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in St. Cloud?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,240, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in St. Cloud?
About $53,809 a year ($4,484 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $68,380. Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in St. Cloud than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,347).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3013; area St. Cloud, MN (41060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.56, this job is 2.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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